McGinn, Councilmembers: Use old city fire station to house homeless

By CHRIS GRYGIEL, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Updated 1:09 pm, Thursday, May 12, 2011

An old city fire station in North Seattle would be used as a homeless shelter and churches would have an easier time hosting "tent cities" under a proposal announced Thursday by Mayor Mike McGinn and Councilmembers Mike O'Brien and Nick Licata.

The plan is the latest attempt by city officials to put forward ideas for dealing with the issue of people without shelter in Seattle.

"The need for shelter and other services has increased during the current recession," the mayor said. "Today's announcement is a step toward better supporting those in need. I thank Councilmembers Licata and O'Brien for making these efforts a priority."

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McGinn, Licata and O'Brien want to use old Fire Station 39, on N.E. 127th Street in Lake City, as a shelter and introduce a new ordinance to supersede Seattle's Consent Decree, facilitating faith-based communities' efforts to host encampments while providing standards and guidelines for hosts and peace of mind for neighbors.

The old Fire Station, which is adjacent to a rebuilt facility, has housed dozens of people as part of a roving tent city. The encampment moved there in November.

Not everybody was thrilled by the announcement. Walter Keith, manager of the Tweety & Pop Ace Hardware Store a half block from the fire station, said while the homeless encampment next door hadn't caused problems he was disappointed in the latest plan.

"I'm against it. These people over here really don't bother us. They really do keep to themselves, they're not bad. I'm against it because of the homeless problem already (in Lake City)," Keith said. "The one thing I don't agree with this, nobody's come and talked to us at all. That just seems to me the way politics is run. They make the decision."

The City Council last month rejected McGinn's plan for a permanent homeless facility in south Seattle, saying in a statement it would "review alternatives" like buying a hotel to help deal with the problem of people without shelter.

McGinn had said the former Sunny Jim peanut butter factory at Airport Way South and South Snoqualmie Street was the most viable locale for a camp for 100 to 150 people. The factory near city-owned land was recently destroyed by fire. Area businesses have expressed concerns about safety and other issues at the site, including worries about potential environmental contamination.

The Council had previously expressed concern about the potential costs of the camp - up to $1 million to set up and house 100 people for two years. In a previous letter to the mayor, Councilmembers Richard Conlin, Sally Bagshaw, Sally Clark and Licata suggested those monies could be used to pay for rental apartments for up to 500 families over two years, as well as other ways that would help people without homes.